Many different skin cleaning and deodorant products are available in the market. Many of these products are formulated to provide various skin benefits or for deodorization of the skin. These products are available in a variety of product forms such as solutions, suspensions, creams, solid sticks, roll-on liquids and aerosol or non-aerosol sprays. Virtually all of these formulations instantaneously release all of their active agents and hence are often used up or depleted within a short period. It is often problematic to provide higher concentrations of actives to extend the effectiveness of formulations, due to the potential for skin irritation or other adverse effects. Accordingly, there is a need for methods which provide longer lasting skin benefits or deodorization. This invention provides a method of cleaning, benefiting or deodorizing the skin or hair using controlled release salts, which provide a reservoir of ions which can benefit or deodorize the skin. The controlled release salts thus maintain a long term skin benefit or extended deodorization activity.
In our co-pending applications we have described various controlled release salts and complexes for various applications on surfaces including skin and hair for both human and animal use. These salts and complexes are formed from cationic and anionic moieties either or both of which can provide benefits when released. The solubility of the controlled release salts is such that when exposed to moisture, the active anionic or cationic portions of the salt, responsible for skin benefits, are released in sufficient quantity to provide their desired beneficial effect, while at the same time leaving sufficient residual undissolved salt to act as a reservoir for the controlled release of additional active ionic portions from the salt as the dissolved skin-benefit agents are depleted. One aspect of our invention is the use of green and natural sources of raw materials.